How to share your ETA in the Apple Maps app on your iPhone

Apple Maps can share your ETA with anyone in your contacts list, and anyone you've shared with will be able to track your progress in real time.
ETA stands for "estimated time of arrival," and tracks when you're expected to arrive at your destination.
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The ETA (estimated time of arrival) feature in Apple Maps lets you give your friends a real-time window into your route and location that way, they don't have to wonder when you will arrive.

When you share your ETA, your contacts will be able to see where your iPhone is, and track you along your route.

Note that this feature isn't available in the Maps app on an iPhone running iOS 12 or earlier .

How to share your ETA in Apple Maps on an iPhone

1. Open the Apple Maps app and find your destination.

2. If you haven't already started directions to a location, tap the blue "Directions" button. Type in the location address, choose your preferred route and tap the green "GO" button to start navigation.

Tap the blue "Directions" button. Laura McCamy/Business Insider

3. While navigating, tap the gray line at the bottom of your screen to reveal menu options, including "Share ETA."

4. Tap the "Share ETA" button.

Tap the "Share ETA" icon. Laura McCamy/Business Insider

5. When you tap the "Share ETA" icon, Maps pulls up your five most recent contacts. Tap any one of those to share your ETA with that person. You can share your ETA with more than one person at a time.

6. If you want to share your ETA with someone who isn't in your five most recent contacts, tap the "Contacts" icon to search for that person. Tap the contact on the list to start sharing.

You can also tap the "Contacts" button is the person you want to share your ETA with is not in your top five recent contacts. Laura McCamy/Business Insider

7. While you have sharing on, you'll see a notice at the bottom of your screen that reminds you that you have sharing on and how many people you have shared with.

The message at the bottom of your screen lets you know how many people you're sharing your ETA with. Laura McCamy/Business Insider

8. The icon of each person you're sharing with will have a blue ring around it in the Share ETA screen. To stop sharing with someone, simply tap their icon to end sharing.

Tap the contact that you'd like to stop sharing your ETA with. Laura McCamy/Business Insider

There are some limitations on sharing your ETA in Apple's Maps app. You need to be actively using the app for navigation. It also only works for driving directions walking and transit don't have the ETA option, and Apple doesn't include biking directions.

Most importantly, you can only share your ETA with people in your contacts list, so be sure to add people to your contacts before you try to share ETA.